POSITION OF RESERVISTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1917, Page 5

POSITION OF RESERVISTS.

DRAWN IN THE BALLOTS INTERESTING FIGURES. By Wire—Our Parliamentary Reporter. Wellington, Last Night. The Minister for Defence presented to the House to-night a statement showing the position of reservists drawn in ballots 1 to 1). as at August 21, 1017.

Tlie number of reservists drawn was 49,588; already sent to or under orders for camp, 12,230; number awaiting disposal, 29,080; not counted or temporarily unavailable, 3098; permanently unavailable 3971. The number sent to camp had been 9883, while 2347 men were under orders to proceed to camp. The -20,080 men awaiting disposal were classified as follows: Awaiting medical examination, 1190; Bl and B2 men awaiting medical re-examination, 487; 01 men awaiting special training, 317; C2 men, of whom a (proportion would be medically re-examined, 23,093. Then there were the men whose disposal was dependent on policy. They comprised the following fit men: Special appellants (not yet medically examined) awaiting hearing of appeals, 678 ; appellants whose appeals had been temporarily adjourned, 512; sine die appeal decisions awaiting reconsideration, 3405; awaiting orders to concentrate, 101.

[ The reservists unavailable for service were classified as follows: At sea, absent from Now Zealand, etc., 01; not wanted since drawn in ballot, 31-21; deserters failed to concentrate when ordered, 516; dead, aliens, etc., 1301; reservists exempted on appeal, 479; permanently unfit, 2101.

Cl men arc men who are likely to become fit for active service after special training, and who are being called up for special physical training. C2 men arc men classified as unfit for active service abroad, but fit for service in New Zealand. These men are being combed out, and those not obviously unfitted for service are being re-examined by a special medical board, Tho authorities have called up for re-examination 3038 men from the first six ballots, and &t least as many more from the last three ballots will be called up at an early date. Any men classified as CI on re-examin-ation will be sent to the Cl camp. The special appellants consist of coal miners, pojicemen, theological students, clergy, and gold miners, whose appeals must be heard prior to their medical examination. In all gther cases medical examination takes place prior to the hearing of appeal. The cases of men whose appeals have been adjourned indefinitely by the military service boards are now being reconsidered by tho boards, and somo of theße men will probably be sent shortly to camp. This loss includes men .who are presumed to 'be Germans or of other alien enemy parentage, but who have not been definitely designated enemy aliens by the /authorities. It ialso includes men presumably under age, whose birth certificates have not yet been obtained, and others who have not yet received definite orders when to proceed to camp, men who have been medically examined, but who liave failed to concentrate for camp as ordered, are Assumed to be deserters, and, if after inyestigation by the group officers, they are found to be actual deserters, warants are issued for their arrest. The numbers fluctuate. It was found on September 13tU that out of the '516 cases 255 had been sent to camp or otherwise accounted for since the return *"»» nuutft out on August 21.